Forever Love
by AvidReader416
Summary: Life doesn't always go according to plan. Bella always imagined she would end up married to her high school boyfriend. When he moves away, they are forced to take a different path. Years later, Edward and Bella are reunited. Can their love be reignited? **ON HOLD**
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Ok, first of all I wanted to let you know that I am **_**not a writer**_**. I am a reader...and I love to read! For some strange, inexplicable reason, a story has lodged itself in my brain and is refusing to leave unless I get it out. With all that being said, please be kind. Remember, I'm just a reader with a story stuck in my head...**

**I don't own Twilight or any of the characters. I just have a love affair with them.**

~oOoOoOoOoOoOo~

"Bella? Bella, can you hear me? Open your eyes if you can hear my voice," a stranger said.

How weird. I could hear him speak, but someone had taped by eyes shut. I started to open my mouth to speak, only to find that my mouth was glued shut too.

Panic rippled through me as I was trapped in an unknown place, a prisoner in my own body. Was I even safe? What about Masen? Was Masen safe? Hurting me was one thing, but if that bastard touched a single hair on my baby's head I would never forgive him.

"She has been so still. Is she ok? Will she be ok?" A new voice that was laced with worry interrupted my panic.

This voice comforted me, at least somewhat. My mother. If she was here, surely I must at least be safe. Surely she wouldn't be here with me if that monster was still trying to torture me. Surely she wouldn't be with me if my baby was in danger.

"That is perfectly normal Mrs. Dwyer. She has sustained serious injuries. We have purposely kept her sedated so that her body could have a chance to heal a bit before she woke up." He reassured her. "We just started to wean her off of the medication, so it may be another day or so before she wakes up. I wouldn't worry just yet. Her vitals are strong, and we have every reason to hope for the best."

Hmm. Everything must be ok, then-at least as ok as it could possibly be with me trapped inside of my brain.

I held onto this little bubble of hope as I floated back into the dark abyss.

~oOoOoOoOoOoOo~  
><em>6 Years Earlier<em>

I looked in the mirror and appraised my outfit. As I took in my appearance I exhaled a shaky breath I didn't even know I was holding in. I guess this will do.

The doorbell rang, simultaneously making me jump and releasing the swarm of butterflies in my stomach. I laughed a little at my silliness. This was Edward. My Edward. Every day I fell in love with him all over again, but a little deeper than the day before. I was positive that _this_ was the love that I read about in all the classics. Forever love.

I raced down the stairs, suddenly unable to wait another single second to see him. I wrenched open the door and all of my nervousness went away. A breathtaking smile lit up his face as I jumped toward him, pulling him into a tight hug.

"Hi, love." He laughed. "Missed me much?"

"Much? Edward, I haven't been apart from you for more than a day since we began dating two years ago! It was pure torture!" I exclaimed dramatically.

"Torture? My mother nearly demolished my cell, we were texting so often," he snickered.

He caught sight of the martyred look on my face and laughed once more , before softening his expression.

"I missed you too. New Hampshire's beauty couldn't hold a candle to you, Bella."

I could feel the heat begin to rise in my cheeks at his compliment.

"So, was Dartmouth everything you hoped for? I can't believe that your dad took your whole family to New Hampshire for vacation just so you could visit a college," I replied, annoyance finding it's way into my tone.

I knew it was Edward's dream to follow in his father's footsteps and attend Dartmouth in his pursuit to become a doctor. While I loved his passion for helping others, I was worried about the inevitable strain that was to come. Edward always wanted to please his parents, and would work so hard that he nearly killed himself in the process. How much worse would it get when he was in college and the material was so much more difficult?

"It was just a visit, love," he replied, pulling me from my musings. "We can talk about this later. I have something for you."

He pulled me outside to his shiny silver Volvo. Sitting on the passenger side was a colorful bouquet of wild flowers.

"Happy anniversary!" He exclaimed.

"Oh Edward! They are so beautiful," I replied while inhaling their amazing fragrance.

"Then they are perfect for you," he complimented.

The heat rose once more in my cheeks.

"Ha! I love how easy it is to make you blush. Now, why don't you take those inside so we can go to dinner?"

I did as he asked and returned to his side in record time. He grinned at my obvious impatience as he walked me toward his car. Always the gentleman, Edward opened my door before climbing into the seat next to me.

Living in tiny Forks, WA, it only took a minute to get to our destination. We had barely even had time to start a conversation when we were already pulling up at our destination.

As we walked into the restaurant, Edward seemed oddly nervous. I guess I really wasn't the only one who had been dealing with separation anxiety. I smiled at his behavior as he opened the door and led me inside.

"Hey, Edward. Bella," Mike Newton greeted us.

"Hey, Mike," Edward smiled as he reached out his hand for the mandatory, male fist bump.

"I saw there was a reservation for Cullen tonight, but I thought maybe it was for your parents. This is a nice surprise," Mike replied.

For his parents? Why in the world would Mike automatically assume the reservation was for Carslile and Esme? I followed the pair curiously as we were led past where most of the patrons were seated and into a small table in the back of an abandoned section.

I blushed as realization set in. So _this_ was why Mike had made assumptions. Why in the world had Edward made a request like this? My heart sped at the possibilities.

"Have a nice evening, guys. The menu you ordered is being prepared and will be brought out momentarily," Mike smiled as he walked away.

I quirked an eyebrow at Edward.

"What in the world is all this Edward?" I asked in bewilderment.

"Calm down, love. I can see the panic in your eyes. Nothing drastic. I just missed you and wanted to celebrate our anniversary in a big way," he replied.  
>This both relieved, and disappointed me. I know we weren't ready for any big steps yet, but we both knew this was a permanent match. It wouldn't be too far fetched to think...no I wasn't even going to let that thought enter my head.<p>

We ate an amazing dinner. Well, amazing for Forks. It was the perfect reunion after our week apart. I was laughing at Edward's story about his mischievous brother Emmett trying to pick up an older college girl, when our dessert was brought out.

"Chocolate fondue, Edward?" I asked in excitement.

"You said you always wanted to try it, so why not now?" He asked somewhat shyly.

He dipped a strawberry in chocolate and reached across the table to place it delicately in my open mouth. It was the most sensual moment of my teenage life. I felt a flame spark in my belly.

"Mmmm..." The sound slipped out, and my cheeks flamed.

"I'm so glad you like it," Edward chuckled at my embarrassment.

As we dipped various fruit and cookies in the decadent dip, Edward's nervousness began to return. It started to make me on edge.

"What's wrong, Edward?" I demanded.

"Nothing is wrong, love. I have just missed you so much while I was gone. It really made me realize just how much I love you." He smiled across the table at me. "I do have one more gift for you."

His voice sort of cracked on the word gift, sending my heart rate into a sprint. I tried not to fear (or hope) for anything in particular. I sat as he pulled a small square box out of his pocket.

And then I passed out.

"Bella! Bella, what am I going to do with you?" Edward exclaimed, holding me as I quickly returned to consciousness.

"Oops," I replied. "I forgot to breathe. You were giving me a present..." I trailed off.

He smiled at my impatience.

"Isabella, I love you. No matter what happens to us in life, I am sure that I will always love you. I know that we are not ready to get married, but I know that I always want you to be a part of my life. If I am lucky enough, one day I hope to marry you. Until we are ready for that step, I bought you a necklace to symbolize just how much love I have for you."

I exhaled the breath that I had started to hold again without my permission. I opened the box and saw a beautiful piece of jewelry. Hanging from a delicate white gold chain were two hearts joined together. In the center of each heart were mine and Edward's birth stones.

"Oh, Edward. It's perfect!" I exclaimed, tears shining in my eyes. As he kissed me, the room all but disappeared. The ping of Edward's cell phone broke us out of our trance.

"That would be my mother. She's reminding me that I need to be home tonight for our stupid 'family meeting.' Who has those anyway?" He complained as we rose and walked out to his car.

A light rain started just as Edward was walking me to the door.

"You could just skip it and stay with me. Charlie's working a double and won't be home until after 7 tomorrow morning..."I suggested.

"Bella, you will be the death of me! It is hard enough to tear myself away from you without your tempting suggestions," he teased. "I seriously do have to go, but I will call you later. I love you."

He leaned in and kissed me goodnight.

~oOoOoOoOoOoOo~  
>I was smiling to myself, thinking of the evening Edward and I had shared when I heard the desperate knocking on the door and rushed to answer it. Edward was standing on the porch, the rain starting to really pick up all around him.<p>

"That was a short family meeting. You were only gone 30 minutes. You just couldn't stay away, could you? Did you decide to sneak out?" I teased him.

I looked up into his face when he didn't respond. Shock filled me at the sight I found. The faint yellow glow from the porch light illuminated his sorrow filled face. He looked like someone died.

"Edward, what's wrong?" I begged as I stepped outside with him, dread filling my heart.

"Bella, I'm leaving. We are moving," he choked out.

"Moving? Where?" I asked.

"New Hampshire. The college visit was only a rouse. My dad has accepted a teaching position at Dartmouth," he replied.

"Teaching? Wow. Well that's ok, Edward. You were planning on moving to Dartmouth in the fall anyway. So, instead of coming back here to visit your family, they will be with you! It will be ok. We always knew that at the end of the year, we would have to live a couple hours apart while I go to NYU..." I trailed off as pain etched across his face.

"Bella, we aren't leaving at the end of the year. A professor died unexpectedly and his vacancy needs to be filled immediately. We are leaving tomorrow. Carslisle accepted the position this afternoon while we were at dinner."  
>Shock filled all of my senses. The world seemed to stand still. In an instant, all of the color and beauty that filled my world was leached out, and left dull. I became aware that Edward was still standing next to me as he pulled me into his chest, desperation evident.<p>

With his touch, my body suddenly became hyper aware of every feeling. I felt my body shaking, and realized that the icy rain had thoroughly soaked us during our short, doomed conversation. The freezing rain was in sharp contrast to the hot tears that were pouring down my face.

"As soon as they told me, I came here. I had to tell you right away. There is no way I'm leaving your side tonight. I'm sure I'll be grounded for the rest of the year, but it will be worth it. I can't believe they are doing this to us!" He said, anguish filling his voice.

"Oh Edward, no!" I finally cried out as I pulled him inside.

I began to kiss him feverishly, trying to pour all of the love I held for him into this one action. I felt the anxiety clawing inside of me, threatening to make me explode. He returned the kiss, letting it build to a frenzied pace. After a few minutes he pulled away, panting.

"Bella, I need a break for a minute or I won't be able to stop," he said through hooded eyes.

"I don't want to stop, Edward. We promised to give ourselves to each other when we went to college and could be in our own apartments. You just told me we don't have that anymore. We only have tonight."

As the realization of my words hit us both, we attacked each other with renewed vigor. I molded myself to his body has his hands expertly gripped my ass. He lifted me off the ground, and my legs wound around his waist as if they belonged there.

Edward carried us to my room, never breaking our kiss.

"I love you, Bella," he panted, laying me on the bed. "Like I said earlier, nothing will ever change that. We don't have to do this to prove anything."

"We aren't proving anything, Edward. I love you and I want to give you all that I have before it's wrenched away from us. I want to give you a piece of me to take with you."

He leaned down and kissed the moisture off my cheeks. His hands wove their way into my hair as he pulled himself to me. Within no time, our clothes were ripped from our bodies. We were so desperate to feel each other's love, there was no time for tenderness.

I soon felt Edward's body pushing inside mine and I gasped at the sensation. He stilled and kissed me.

"Are you ok, love? I can stop," he suggested.

"Edward, I'm fine. I love you," I replied kissing him.

This was enough encouragement for him and he continued his thrusts. I was almost at the point of crying out at the pain when Edward gave a final thrust and stilled. Maybe sweet, tender lovemaking would have been a better choice for our first time. Oh well, I had no regrets. Even though my lady bits were already screaming, I had no regrets. We fell asleep curled into each other.

I awoke to the sound of a clock ticking. Tick. Tick. Tick. As my dream-fogged brain slowly drifted to reality I realized that it wasn't a clock. Something was hitting my window. I dragged open my eyes to see a soft light filtering through my window. I pulled on a t-shirt and peered out my window, only to see Emmett standing in the yard. I opened my squeaky window, waking Edward in the process.

"Come on, E. Time to go. Mom and Dad are about to call the Chief if you aren't home in ten minutes. You know you don't want to get Bells in trouble too," Emmett pleaded.

Edward started to argue when my eyes widened with panic.

"Edward, if Charlie finds you here he'll kill you! Just go! Come back later before you go," I pleaded.

He gave me a beseeching look, and then reluctantly agreed. He dressed quickly and then gave me a kiss that shattered my heart into a million pieces.

"This isn't goodbye. I'll see you later," I told him.

He gave me an anguished look. "I love you forever, Bella," he replied with tears in his eyes.

"I love you too, Edward," I said, tears streaming down my face as he walked out.

~oOoOoOoOoOoOo~


	2. Chapter 2

**a/n So so so sorry about the long time in between posts…real life has swallowed me whole. The good news is that now I should have a few extra minutes each day to work so **_**hopefully**_** it won't be as long next time!**

**I'm surprised at all the favorites/author alerts that I got already! Thanks! :) If you could, please take a minute to leave a comment. I'm trying to **_**improve**_** as I go along and constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated. Try to keep an open mind. This isn't going exactly where you think. Thanks for reading!**

**The lyrics referenced below were borrowed from Miss Taylor Swift's song **_**Last Kiss. **_**It seemed fitting for the scene.**

**I don't own Twilight or any of the characters. I just have a love affair with them.**  
>~oOoOoOoOoOoOo~<p>

I moved around in a daze. So much had happened in such a short time, and my world was suddenly turned upside down. It made me feel dizzy.

A few hours ago I was so excited. So sure of the path my life was on. Happy.

The memory of last night forced its way upon me and I had to sit down with the weight of it all. Wow. Edward was leaving. I only had a few more hours with him and then he would be gone.

I shifted uncomfortably on my bed, proof that last night was definitely real. Ouch. A hot bath was going to have to be the first thing on the agenda. I padded down the hall to the bathroom, aware of the soft snores from Charlie's room. He must have snuck in after I passed out from emotional exhaustion after Edward left. I was glad that I didn't have to face him just yet.

I turned the hot water on and added some lavender bath oil. I definitely needed some sort of calming influence. As the bath filled, I picked up my phone and began to text my best friend, Alice. Alice was also Edward's twin sister so I didn't need to fill her in on the tragedy unfolding.

My fingers flew over the tiny keyboard. "_Alice, help!" _Her reply was almost instant. "_Oh Bella! I can't believe my dad is making us move. Are you ok?" _I sighed as I thought about how to answer her. "_No. I'm freaking out. It's horrible. Come you come over?" _I waited hopefully for her reply. I looked down when my phone pinged, signaling another message from Alice. "_I'm packing but I can be there in 30."_

I smiled at Alice's willingness to calm me down. She was such a good friend. I hoped that she would be willing to help me out with my next huge hurdle. Edward and I had unprotected sex last night. In the light of day, it was not the most brilliant part of our choice. "_Thanks Alice. Can you stop by the pharmacy? I need Plan B & I'm dead if word gets back to Charlie."_

In any other town, this would not be an issue. In Forks, there was only one pharmacy. Word was bound to get back to my father if I turned up asking for the morning after pill. My only other choice was to drive to Port Angeles, but I knew I wouldn't have time to drive there today. A small dinging sound pulled me from my thoughts and I looked as the screen lit up. "_SHIT! My naughty twin! I guess you had quite the evening. You owe me."_

I smiled at her words. Quite the evening didn't cover it. I turned off the water and quickly sent her a thanks in reply.

Well, that was one issue down. I lowered myself into the burning water and a small groan escaped my mouth. The water really did feel nice on my tender body. As I felt myself start to relax, I turned my attention to sending Edward a text. "_Edward, what's going on?" _

As if he had been waiting for my text, the reply was nearly instantaneous. "_My parents are pissed about last night. We are leaving in 4 hours. Are you ok?" _I laughed a short laugh in response to the stupid question. How could I possibly be ok? _"I'm as ok as possible. I love you."_

I sighed and sank lower in the water. I sighed at how wonderful the hot water felt. The sound of my phone brought me back to reality. _"Bella, I'm so sorry I'm doing this to you. I love you too." _It was so like Edward to blame himself for something he had no control over. Time to change the subject.

"_When r u coming back?" _I was anxious for his response. I knew we only had a few hours left until our forced separation. Luckily, he didn't keep me waiting. _"ASAP. Carlisle is lecturing. Alice just left. U sure ur ok?" _

I debated for a minute about my response. I didn't want to hurt him more, but I also didn't want to keep things from him. I finally decided on honesty and typed out my response. _" physically, yes. emotionally, not so much. see u soon. xoxo" _His reply was quick. _" I will find a way to make this ok. xo"_

I sighed and sank lower into the water, letting myself succumb to tears once again. How had this happened? I thought that we were on the right path. Why is Fate throwing us a curve ball? Maybe there was some way to keep Edward with me.

We were too young to get married without permission. I knew there was no way either of our parents would agree to that. In their eyes, it would be like signing a death sentence for our relationship. Don't they realize they've done just that already?

Maybe I could "accidentally" forget to take then Plan B. Maybe Fate would make up for taking my Edward away and leave me with a mini version of him to keep. Then, surely his parents would let him return? I shook my head at the crazy thought. Obviously I was under way too much emotional stress. I was thinking irrational thoughts. No need to be quite so melodramatic.

No, there would be no surprise baby. We would just have to start our long distance relationship early. We would be separated by the entire country for only a fairly short time. In 8 months I was headed to NYU and I would be much closer. We could spend every weekend together. That thought cheered me somewhat. We would be ok. This was us. We would make it through anything. The ping of my cell made me jump. It was immediately followed by another, and then a third. Something was definitely up.

I read Edward's text first.** "**_Bastard! He's making us leave now & says a 'clean break' will be best. I can't get away." _I inhaled sharply at the words on the screen. Surely he was wrong. Alice was on her way here. They wouldn't abandon her. I flipped to the next message that had been sent. It was from Alice._"Oh, B. So sorry. Dad found me at the Rx and freaked. I gave the med to Angela. She's bringing it to u."_I immediately started to panic as I fumbled over the keys to frantically type my response. "_WHAT? Ur not coming?"_

Oh no, no, no, no, no. I had a few hours left. This couldn't happen now. I jumped out of the bath and threw on the clothes I had brought in with me. I ran down the stairs, pulling on my shoes as I grabbed my keys. I usually loved my ancient truck, but today it just wouldn't move fast enough.

As I pulled around the last bend, I saw a dark Mercedes drive past. Panic filled my brain as I realized I was too late. They had just driven past me. I pulled over to the shoulder of the road as a new wave of sobs took over. I yanked out my phone and began to desperately text Edward. "_Edward? I'm too late? What r we going to do?"_ After a few minutes of silence I was starting to get worried._ "E, why aren't u answering?"_

After ten minutes, I knew something was up. I slowly drove home, trying to get control of myself. I nearly drove off the road when my cell phone finally pinged in response. I looked at the screen of my phone and gasped as I read the words. "_Bella, this is Carlisle. A clean break is best. Edward no longer has his cell phone. He can e-mail you in a few days. Best of luck to you."_

I stared at the phone in shock. Edward had said it earlier, but now Carlisle had confirmed it. A _clean break_. How could that be best? He's a doctor for crying out loud. Doesn't he know that something broken is bad, and takes a long time to heal?

This was bad. So very, very bad. At a time like this, there's no other choice than to turn to Taylor. I swear, sometimes it seems like that girl had a premonition of my future when she wrote her songs. I was only half way paying attention when the lyrics started to drift into my sorrowful conscious.

_I never thought we'd have our last kiss. I never imagined we'd end like this, your name forever the name on my lips. Just like our last kiss._

* * *

><p><strong>an This was getting really long, so I decided to split it up. Hopefully that means not quite so long for an update! I'm looking for a beta to try to help push me along. If you know anyone awesome, let me know! And, please please please take a second to review so I know what you think!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: This will be short, but I just wanted to let you know that I ****_AM WRITING_**** again! :)**

**That's the good news. The bad news is that my brain has decided that it wants to spit out different parts of the story, not necessarily in order. I do have a plan for what will happen, and certain characters are insisting that their voices be heard, even though they don't come until later. For this reason, I'm putting the story on hold, but when I come back I should have several chapters finished so there won't be huge waits for me to upload. Thanks so much for your patience!**


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